1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to nipple waterer valves that are actuable by pressure applied on the valve by an animal to provide fluids thereto and more specifically relates to such valves that do not include spring biasing elements.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Nipple waterer valves for animals are commonly used in animal feeding to provide a clean and efficient method for supplying animals with drinking water. The majority of nipple waterers presently on the market include valves having spring biasing members to normally maintain the valve in a shut-off condition. However, such valves have not proved advantageous in use as they have a relatively high incidence of maintenance problems. As a result, there has been a strong need for nipple waterers that operate without the use of springs.
One type of nipple waterer valve presently on the market that has achieved the above objective is provided by Edstrom Industries, Inc., listed as Part No. 10743. The Edstrom valve instead of having a spring has a diaphragm interposed between a retainer screw portion and the head of a valve member. The diaphragm is resilient so that when an animal exerts pressure on the valve member, the valve member head is movable to permit fluid flow between the head and an o-ring sealing member. Although the Edstrom valve has no springs, it too has proved deficient for long-term use under extreme conditions because the diaphragm that is the heart of the Edstrom valve has orifices to permit water therethrough. These orifices have proved to be extremely troublesome because they are frequently blocked by contaminants in the water and therefore frequent cleaning of the valves is required.
The present invention provides a springless nipple waterer valve that is not only simple in construction, but operates efficiently and effectively for long-term usage with little maintenance.